The Last House on the Street
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- Create Date：2022-01-02 11:21:07
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Diane Chamberlain
- ISBN：1250835631
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lisa Konet
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I am definitely hooked on Diane Chamberlain books。 I am glad my library has some of them so when a new title popped up on Netgalley， I raced to request a copy。 This book has many strong themes and I loved the dual timeline， it definitely added to the story。 I could not put this down until it ended。 Highly recommended！Thanks to Netgalley， Diane Chamberlain and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 1/11/22 I am definitely hooked on Diane Chamberlain books。 I am glad my library has some of them so when a new title popped up on Netgalley， I raced to request a copy。 This book has many strong themes and I loved the dual timeline， it definitely added to the story。 I could not put this down until it ended。 Highly recommended！Thanks to Netgalley， Diane Chamberlain and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 1/11/22 。。。more
Nicki
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I have seen so many glowing reviews for this book。 But I didn't overly like this book。 It was just okay。 There are really two stories in one。 There is the awful time in the south when blacks were held down and lived a fearful life。 A white girl and black boy would cause fear and anger。 Young people were going door to door hoping for change。 Yet Win and Ellie fell in love。 Causing family riff and KKK activity and hate。The other story is the modern one when Ellie returns home to tend for ailing fa I have seen so many glowing reviews for this book。 But I didn't overly like this book。 It was just okay。 There are really two stories in one。 There is the awful time in the south when blacks were held down and lived a fearful life。 A white girl and black boy would cause fear and anger。 Young people were going door to door hoping for change。 Yet Win and Ellie fell in love。 Causing family riff and KKK activity and hate。The other story is the modern one when Ellie returns home to tend for ailing family。 Kayla has bought the land where Win and Ellie met and the KKK gathered。 Through the story we learn what happened during the history of the land。 Kayla is learning to live in her dream house as a widow with a young child。 The stories blend to tell the whole story。The book is well written but it just was not a book that I enjoyed at all。 I was not pulled in， I guess this just wasn't my kind of mystery。 I agree the ending was a surprise。 I can see why this will be an award winner。 。。。more
Jeanniehay64
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This book was full of mystery and suspense。The dual timeline 1965 and 2010 really added interest for me。 In 1965 Ellie is a young independent 20 year old 。 She has a desire to change prejudices even if it goes against the small minded members of her community in Round Hill and even her own family。 She joins SCOPE a volunteer programme to help register black voters。 In 2010 Kayla is a young widow with a small daughter has just moved into a new house in Round Hill which she has built with her husb This book was full of mystery and suspense。The dual timeline 1965 and 2010 really added interest for me。 In 1965 Ellie is a young independent 20 year old 。 She has a desire to change prejudices even if it goes against the small minded members of her community in Round Hill and even her own family。 She joins SCOPE a volunteer programme to help register black voters。 In 2010 Kayla is a young widow with a small daughter has just moved into a new house in Round Hill which she has built with her husband who has tragically died。 Many sinister things begin to happen which makes Kayla question her decision to move into the house。 Is it her imagination？ Or is someone trying their best to frighten her？ I loved how Ellie’s and Kayla’s stories intertwined。 The sinister going ons had my heart racing。 I also learned a lot about the prejudices that existed not that long ago。 The serious issues of prejudice， accountability ， forbidden love and justice were so sensitivity portrayed in the story， one to read if you like twisty thrillers that leave you thinking of the story long after the last page。 。。。more
Brooke
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Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this early copy！ I really liked this one！ I’ve read a few Diane Chamberlain books before and have yet to read one that I didn’t like！ She is such a great writer and storyteller。 “The Last House on the Street” is about the Scope Project in 1965， which I had never heard about before， but it’s basically the story of how white people would help black people to vote and have rights。 It was eye opening even though I’ve read other books about this top Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this early copy！ I really liked this one！ I’ve read a few Diane Chamberlain books before and have yet to read one that I didn’t like！ She is such a great writer and storyteller。 “The Last House on the Street” is about the Scope Project in 1965， which I had never heard about before， but it’s basically the story of how white people would help black people to vote and have rights。 It was eye opening even though I’ve read other books about this topic。 I also really love how Diane normally writes in duel perspectives and I enjoyed both。 I hope you take the time to pick this one up when it is released on the 11th of January！ 。。。more
Anita Norton
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Another compelling story from Diane Chamberlain！ It is told on two timelines: 2010: Kayla and her husband are building their dream home in North Carolina， but while it is being built her husband is killed there in an accident。 Right before Kayla and her three year old daughter move in a strange woman visits her at work and warns her not to move into the house。 Shortly after they move in they begin to be plagued by vandals。 And they find the woods and lake behind the house are said to be haunted！ Another compelling story from Diane Chamberlain！ It is told on two timelines: 2010: Kayla and her husband are building their dream home in North Carolina， but while it is being built her husband is killed there in an accident。 Right before Kayla and her three year old daughter move in a strange woman visits her at work and warns her not to move into the house。 Shortly after they move in they begin to be plagued by vandals。 And they find the woods and lake behind the house are said to be haunted！ Kayla wants to live in the house she and her husband so lovingly designed and built， but are she and her child safe there？ 1965: Ellie was raised to be a Southern lady。 Her future is all planned out- following college she will be married to her bank boyfriend and establish a home in her North Carolina home town。 But Ellie becomes aware of the racial injustice that exists in her community。 She decides to spend her summer break volunteering to register Black voters， in spite of the adamant opposition of her family and friends。 Because of her work， she sees the prejudice of those around her， even those she lovesThe author blends these two stories together in a powerful way， and you will continue to think of this story long after you finish it。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Rima
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As usual， Chamberlain writes a phenomenal story。 I love her books and writing style。 Definitely recommend！I would like to thank NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review。
Pipa
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This is my first time reading anything by Chamberlain - thank you to NetGalley and Headline publishers for allowing me an EARC in exchange for an honest review！This story has two main protagonists and is set in two different time periods。 Ellie is a young white woman in North Carolina， who in the 1965 narrative wants to play her part in aiding the civil rights movement， so joins SCOPE in the hopes of helping Black people to register to vote for the first time。 In a （pandemic-free） 2020， Kayla is This is my first time reading anything by Chamberlain - thank you to NetGalley and Headline publishers for allowing me an EARC in exchange for an honest review！This story has two main protagonists and is set in two different time periods。 Ellie is a young white woman in North Carolina， who in the 1965 narrative wants to play her part in aiding the civil rights movement， so joins SCOPE in the hopes of helping Black people to register to vote for the first time。 In a （pandemic-free） 2020， Kayla is a young architect and mother， recently widowed， and is moving into a house on the street where Ellie and her family used to live。 But the street has a lot of history and someone is trying really hard to stop Kayla and her daughter from moving in… At first I struggled to get into the novel。 The two stories seemed so wildly different， and I was a lot more interested in Ellie’s story than Kayla’s。 But when Ellie began to appear in Kayla’s narrative and all of the pieces began to fit together， it grew really interesting and I struggled to put the book down for the second half of the novel。 Sometimes time shifts can be a bit jarring but I think here， Chamberlain did a really good job; we had enough time with each character that it gave us the opportunity to understand the protagonist and to form attachments to the secondary characters。 What I also enjoyed most was the self-knowing nature of the novel。 There were some really interesting discussions on the nature of white saviourism that I thought were necessary given the direction the novel headed。 Without giving away spoilers， the ending also absolutely broke my heart。 I did manage to successfully guess the events and also correctly identified the key players but ultimately this didn’t spoil it for me as it was well-written enough to keep my attention。Overall， this was good。 I’d recommend to fans of thrillers。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
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I am always eager to read the next Diane Chamberlain book and The Last House on the Street was another one that I enjoyed。 This book is a historical fiction novel， written in two timelines。 One storyline is set in 1965 and shares the story of Ellie Hockley and her involvement in SCOPE， a group that recruited college students to educate Black citizens about their right to register and vote， as well as help them register。 Ellie was a proper， white girl raised in well-to-do Round Hill， N。C。 I have I am always eager to read the next Diane Chamberlain book and The Last House on the Street was another one that I enjoyed。 This book is a historical fiction novel， written in two timelines。 One storyline is set in 1965 and shares the story of Ellie Hockley and her involvement in SCOPE， a group that recruited college students to educate Black citizens about their right to register and vote， as well as help them register。 Ellie was a proper， white girl raised in well-to-do Round Hill， N。C。 I have read books about this time before， but was shocked by the happenings in this book。 You never know what the people you live with， your family and neighbours are capable of。 In 2010， Architect Kayla Carter and her 3 year old daughter， Rainie， are moving into what was supposed to be her dream house。 She and her husband designed it， but he died in a freak accident and she isn't sure if she still wants to live there。 Several things happen to scare her off， including a strange woman showing up at her office to warn her off。 What happened on that property all those years ago？The last line of the blurb is a perfect line about this book: Two women。 Two stories。 Both on a collision course with the truth--no matter what that truth may bring to lightI did not know anything about the Scope Project and learned a lot about it。 I did do a bit of googling to learn more。 I loved the 1965 timeline the best。 Learning about Ellie and what she went through as interesting and at the same time appalling。 She was such a strong character， doing what she thought was right， even alienating her family。 Win was also a wonderful character， doing what he believed in and helping others。 Watching their relationship bloom， was sweet， but a disaster waiting to happen。 I have to say， I didn't enjoy Kayla's storyline as much until the end when the two timelines come together。 I would have liked a smoother transition between the two times， but I still very much liked this book。 The setting was creepy。 An overgrown yard， a brackish pond/lake and noises gave me chills at time。 This was an emotional read and it punched me right in the gut several times。 This was a good read with a strong message about the civil rights that are still being fought for today。 I definitely recommend this book。 I listened to the audiobook narrated by Susan Bennett。 She did a great job using expression and tone to give that creepy feeling and add emotion to this story。 The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dreamhouse， she knows she has to stay strong for their four year old daughter。 But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates， a new development in sleepy Round Hill， North Carolina， will always hold tragic memories。 But when she is confronted by an odd， older woman telling her not to move in， she almost agrees。 It's clear the woman has some kind of connection to the area。。。。 and a connection to Kayla herself。 Kayla's elderly new When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dreamhouse， she knows she has to stay strong for their four year old daughter。 But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates， a new development in sleepy Round Hill， North Carolina， will always hold tragic memories。 But when she is confronted by an odd， older woman telling her not to move in， she almost agrees。 It's clear the woman has some kind of connection to the area。。。。 and a connection to Kayla herself。 Kayla's elderly new neighbour， Ellie Hockley， is more welcoming， but it's clear， she， too， has secrets that stretch back fifty years。 This story has a dual timeline， 1965 where we meet Ellie Hockley， and 2010 when Kayla and her daughter move in to Shadow Ridge Estates， Kayla and her husband， Jackson were architects who designed their dream home together only for Jackson to get killed during it's construction。 The story is told from Kayla and Ellie's perspectives。 The main characters are likeable and believable。 Ellie had had a keen interest in Civil Rights in 1965， There's also something eerie about Kayla's new home。 The two storylines join together seamlessly。I would like to thank #NetGalley #Headline and the author #DianeChamberlain for my ARC of #TheLastHouseOnTheStreet in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lyndi
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Kayla and her young daughter are finally moving into their new home in Shadow Ridge Estates， a home that she designed with her fellow architect husband Jackson。 She has many fears and reservations about living in the house where her husband tragically died in an accident。。 Built to become a part of the surrounding forest， now the trees seem ominous and threatening。 And the whole town of Round Hill， North Carolina is less than welcoming， even her closest neighbor Ellie Hockley who returned to her Kayla and her young daughter are finally moving into their new home in Shadow Ridge Estates， a home that she designed with her fellow architect husband Jackson。 She has many fears and reservations about living in the house where her husband tragically died in an accident。。 Built to become a part of the surrounding forest， now the trees seem ominous and threatening。 And the whole town of Round Hill， North Carolina is less than welcoming， even her closest neighbor Ellie Hockley who returned to her family home after almost fifty years to care for her aging mother and terminally ill brother。In 1965， Ellie was living at home in Round Hill， going to college for pharmacology， and in a serious relationship with the local bank manager。 But against her family's wishes， she joins a group called SCOPE for the summer， dedicated to helping register black voters。 But when she falls in love with a fellow volunteer， she discovers the terrifying prejudice of her neighbors。 It took me awhile to get into this book but I pushed on and I'm so glad I did。 The last part of the story where the truth is revealed is just amazing， emotional， shocking。。。。 just wow！ I've loved every Diane Chamberlain book I've read and I'm so glad I got a chance to review this one！I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily。 。。。more
B
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I have read many of Diane Chamberlain’s novels and I must say this is probably my least favorite。 The story starts off strong， but then it really begins to drag。 I did enjoy the 1960’s historical backdrop of the story。 It is a sobering reminder of those times。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I also listened to the audiobook。 The narrator was excellent。 3。5 stars
Anne - Books of My Heart
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Review Jan 11COYER #14 Read a book with a couple （two people） fully clothed on the front。
Carmela
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Thank you Netgalley， St Martin’s Press and Diane Chamberlain。This is the first novel I read from this wonderful author and it surely will not be the last。I was totally immersed into the lives of Ellie and Kayla， these two women showed strength of character， compassion， love， persistence and devotion。Ellie and Kayla brought forth lots of different emotions， I loved loved this novel。Please make sure to pick up this novel， I can guarantee you I will go buy my own book to put on myself。Highly recomm Thank you Netgalley， St Martin’s Press and Diane Chamberlain。This is the first novel I read from this wonderful author and it surely will not be the last。I was totally immersed into the lives of Ellie and Kayla， these two women showed strength of character， compassion， love， persistence and devotion。Ellie and Kayla brought forth lots of different emotions， I loved loved this novel。Please make sure to pick up this novel， I can guarantee you I will go buy my own book to put on myself。Highly recommend5 stars 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
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Another powerful dual timeline historical fiction mystery set in the South！ In this book we get to know young Ellie as she eschews her expected path in 1965 to join Freedom Fighters in North Carolina， helping Black people register to vote。 Of course there's lots of heartbreaking drama involving an interracial friendship， the Klan and disapproving friends and family。 Fast forward to the present and we slowly learn what really happened back in 1965 one horrible night that changed Ellie's and a who Another powerful dual timeline historical fiction mystery set in the South！ In this book we get to know young Ellie as she eschews her expected path in 1965 to join Freedom Fighters in North Carolina， helping Black people register to vote。 Of course there's lots of heartbreaking drama involving an interracial friendship， the Klan and disapproving friends and family。 Fast forward to the present and we slowly learn what really happened back in 1965 one horrible night that changed Ellie's and a whole town's life forever。 I couldn't put this one down it was just so so good！ Great on audio narrated by Susan Bennett。 If you loved The Help this one is sure to be a must-read。 Much thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and Libro。fm for my review copies！ 。。。more
Kc1morepage
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Kayla Carter is moving into the dream home she built with her late husband when she has a very disturbing encounter with a stranger who tells her she must not move into her new home。 While Kayla is trying to understand this woman’s motives， the story shifts back in time 50 years and we meet the former inhabitants of Kayla’s neighborhood。 What impact do these people have on Kayla’s story？The Last House on the Street is Diane Chamberlain at her best—realistic， compelling characters， an intriguing Kayla Carter is moving into the dream home she built with her late husband when she has a very disturbing encounter with a stranger who tells her she must not move into her new home。 While Kayla is trying to understand this woman’s motives， the story shifts back in time 50 years and we meet the former inhabitants of Kayla’s neighborhood。 What impact do these people have on Kayla’s story？The Last House on the Street is Diane Chamberlain at her best—realistic， compelling characters， an intriguing and complex storyline， and relevant cultural commentary。 。。。more
Sonya Moyle
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。After Kayla's husband dies in a tragic accident while building their new home， Kayla decides to stay in the house with her daughter， to keep her husband's memory alive。Little does she know， several things have happened in the area that her house is built。 This story spans between the past， where the story of her neighbor Ellie lies and the ties she has to the house。。。street。。。area。。。and the Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。After Kayla's husband dies in a tragic accident while building their new home， Kayla decides to stay in the house with her daughter， to keep her husband's memory alive。Little does she know， several things have happened in the area that her house is built。 This story spans between the past， where the story of her neighbor Ellie lies and the ties she has to the house。。。street。。。area。。。and the present with Kayla's house and things she is experiencing。Great book！！！ 。。。more
Sharon L
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A dual timeline historical fiction of the 1960's and 2010's in the United States。 A step up in intensity from a "cozy"。The strength of the novel is definitely the tumultuous 1960's。 During this timeline the characters are believable， well drawn and likeable。 We as readers are placed right into the voting rights conflict and institutional racism prevalent in the South。 I'm shocked by the the number of reviews that mention not knowing anything about this time period， but that's the power of books。 A dual timeline historical fiction of the 1960's and 2010's in the United States。 A step up in intensity from a "cozy"。The strength of the novel is definitely the tumultuous 1960's。 During this timeline the characters are believable， well drawn and likeable。 We as readers are placed right into the voting rights conflict and institutional racism prevalent in the South。 I'm shocked by the the number of reviews that mention not knowing anything about this time period， but that's the power of books。 Thankfully this one seems well researched。The "current" timeline seemed off to me。 Our main character's husband is murdered in the house they were building and I felt her reaction was unbelievable。 I would be a mess and certainly wouldn't have her poise in contemplating whether moving into their home would honor her husband's dream。 Also the characters in this timeline seemed less engaging。 Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elyse
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NetGalley ARC。This was my second Chamberlain novel。 I'm not sure she's an author for me。 Her books are too slow and dull。 I liked it minutely better than Big Lies in a Small Town but it just wasn't exciting enough for me。 It started out interesting enough but then it just sloooooowed down and only picked up again at the end。 It wasn't even a wicked long book but it just dragged and I didn't want to pick it up。 I may try *one* more novel by her before I give up because I own a couple more。 NetGalley ARC。This was my second Chamberlain novel。 I'm not sure she's an author for me。 Her books are too slow and dull。 I liked it minutely better than Big Lies in a Small Town but it just wasn't exciting enough for me。 It started out interesting enough but then it just sloooooowed down and only picked up again at the end。 It wasn't even a wicked long book but it just dragged and I didn't want to pick it up。 I may try *one* more novel by her before I give up because I own a couple more。 。。。more
Erin
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4。5 starsDiane Chamberlain is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors， and this book is the second one I read by her this year that has made it into my top list for 2021。 What I like about her books is that she successfully fictionalizes serious events in recent history in a way that does not come across as opportunistic but rather as respectful to the memories of the real people affected。To read my full review， please visit: https://bookwormerin。com/review/the-l。。。 4。5 starsDiane Chamberlain is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors， and this book is the second one I read by her this year that has made it into my top list for 2021。 What I like about her books is that she successfully fictionalizes serious events in recent history in a way that does not come across as opportunistic but rather as respectful to the memories of the real people affected。To read my full review， please visit: https://bookwormerin。com/review/the-l。。。 。。。more
Michelle Smith
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I wasn’t 100% sure about this one when I first started and that feeling remained up until when I stopped reading at 35%。 I was never able to fully connect with the story。 This one just didn’t work for me。eARC kindly provided by St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley。 Opinions shared are my own。 I wasn’t 100% sure about this one when I first started and that feeling remained up until when I stopped reading at 35%。 I was never able to fully connect with the story。 This one just didn’t work for me。eARC kindly provided by St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley。 Opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Kristi Betts
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Two voices tell the story of the haunted forested area at the end of the street。 One， Ellie， who once lived on the street， who tells of her time with SCOPE （Summer Community Organization mad Political Education） during the summer if 1965。 The other， Kayla a young widow who now lives in a newly constructed house at the end of the same street。 The chapters are told alternating between the present and 1965。Ms。 Chamberlain has developed a story of activism， love， and tragedy。 The format is nicely la Two voices tell the story of the haunted forested area at the end of the street。 One， Ellie， who once lived on the street， who tells of her time with SCOPE （Summer Community Organization mad Political Education） during the summer if 1965。 The other， Kayla a young widow who now lives in a newly constructed house at the end of the same street。 The chapters are told alternating between the present and 1965。Ms。 Chamberlain has developed a story of activism， love， and tragedy。 The format is nicely laid out and easy to follow。 I enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other as their story unfolds。 。。。more
Nancy L
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Told in two timelines in small town North Carolina， 1965 and 2010。 1965， a young college age woman， Ellie， joins a group to encourage black residents in the South to register to vote。 in 2010 a young mother and widow， Kayla， is trying to come to terms with the death of her husband and moving into what was to be their dream home that they designed。 Someone is trying to discourage Kayla from living in the house at the end of the street， but who and why？ Does it have anything to do with the distant Told in two timelines in small town North Carolina， 1965 and 2010。 1965， a young college age woman， Ellie， joins a group to encourage black residents in the South to register to vote。 in 2010 a young mother and widow， Kayla， is trying to come to terms with the death of her husband and moving into what was to be their dream home that they designed。 Someone is trying to discourage Kayla from living in the house at the end of the street， but who and why？ Does it have anything to do with the distant racist past of this small town？ The lives of these two women are both tragic and yet they are both positive， uplifting characters。 It's hard to read some of the sections from 1965， but that's exactly why we should read this book。 We can't forget what happened in this country or try to pretend it didn't happen， their was as is racism and we have to try to learn from our past so we don't repeat it。Thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
Lisa
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Coming soon！
Eileen
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4。5 starsDiane Chamberlain does it again， at least for me。 Like most （all？） of the books I've read from her， this one is told from two different points of view in two different timelines and the timelines/POV eventually merge。 In my opinion， she does this well and I never become confused about the POV or the timelines and always look forward to the denouement， when they end up merging。 What was coincidental for me is that I was reading Black， by Joan Vassar while reading this book， and it was in 4。5 starsDiane Chamberlain does it again， at least for me。 Like most （all？） of the books I've read from her， this one is told from two different points of view in two different timelines and the timelines/POV eventually merge。 In my opinion， she does this well and I never become confused about the POV or the timelines and always look forward to the denouement， when they end up merging。 What was coincidental for me is that I was reading Black， by Joan Vassar while reading this book， and it was interesting reading about the black struggle from two different points of view。 Diane Chamberlain is a white woman， as opposed to Joan Vassar， who is a black woman， but one of the main protagonists in this story is a white southern rich girl from North Carolina who becomes passionate about helping change things for blacks in the 60s by working to get them the vote。 She is the lone white voice in her community speaking for the change， and a lot of ugliness is revealed as we explore both the past and the present。 The author did a good job of mixing in the past and the present and I really felt the atmosphere of those woods and that lake。 I would totally have been creeped out if I had been there。 The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because I predicted much of the ending， and while that's not necessarily a bad thing （usually have a hard time predicting the ending）， it was not a surprise to me what happened in the past and what was happening in the future。 I would still recommend this book and I will continue to read any Diane Chamberlain book I come across。 With her large body of work， it's more about which one I will read next。 。。。more
Marilyn
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Diane Chamberlain has been a long time favorite author of mine。 I have read most of her books and have not been disappointed yet。 The Last House on the Street was gripping and powerful。 Diane Chamberlain was able to combine the elements of historical fiction with the elements of a thriller in this dual time line novel and brilliantly bring them together in a satisfying and unexpected way。 The two female main characters were strong， determined， smart and resourceful。 All the characters were well Diane Chamberlain has been a long time favorite author of mine。 I have read most of her books and have not been disappointed yet。 The Last House on the Street was gripping and powerful。 Diane Chamberlain was able to combine the elements of historical fiction with the elements of a thriller in this dual time line novel and brilliantly bring them together in a satisfying and unexpected way。 The two female main characters were strong， determined， smart and resourceful。 All the characters were well thought out and believable。 The Last House on the Street was well written。 It explored friendship， bigotry， lies， mistrust， hatred， love and murders。The Last House on the Street was able to accurately portray the climate and unrest of the country， especially in the south， during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s。 The Voting Right Act of 1965 was a priority for President Lyndon B。 Johnson。 He wanted it to pass but for some people it was taking longer than they had hoped it would take to put it into law。。 Ellie Hockley was a college student during that time period and had lived in Round Hill North Carolina her whole life。 She could be described as a smart， kind yet naïve and trusting young woman brought up to exhibit proper Southern etiquette and follow the accepted attitudes and opinions of her fellow Southern neighbors and friends and family。 Ellie had been greatly influenced and guided by her late aunt’s open mind about equality and truth。 Ellie had heard about a student organization that was being formed to educate the black residents of the south about this new voting law。 The volunteers for this organization were to be comprised of college students from the north and out west。 The volunteers would be expected to canvas potential Black voters and register them to vote and educate them about their right to vote。 Ellie was determined to become involved in the mission of this student organization even if it meant going against the wishes of her parents and the disgruntled remarks and advice of her friends and neighbors。 Besides wanting to do this for all the right and apparent reasons， Ellie was harboring a long kept secret that was pushing her toward doing this as well。 That summer experience would change Ellie in ways that she never could have imagined。Kayla Carter was a recent widow and mother of a toddler daughter。 She and her late husband had both been architects and had jointly designed their new home in a new subdivision of houses called Shadow Ridge in Round Hill， North Carolina。 Something about Kayla’s husband’s death did not sit right with Kayla。 Then strange and upsetting occurrences began to happen to her and her daughter。 The past and the present were about to converge and expose long deserved truths and long buried secrets。The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain told the story of two strong women， both encountering a significant loss and both searching for the truth to set them free。 While I was reading The Last House on the Street， I almost felt that Ellie’s story alone would have been enough and would have eliminated another duel time line story。 However， when Diane Chamberlain brilliantly made the past converge with the present near the end of her book I was glad she had written it in this format。 It was fast paced and quite enjoyable。 I look forward to her next book and I highly recommend this book。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this advanced digital version of The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this re 。。。more
Teena in Toronto
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1965Ellie is a white university student who spends her summers working in her father's pharmacy。 When she hears about The Summer Community Organization and Political Education （SCOPE） Project， whose goal was to recruit white college students to help prepare African Americans for voting and to maintain pressure on Congress to pass what became the Voting Rights Act of 1965， she signs up。 Her family and friends in her small town try to dissuade her but she feels strongly enough to risk losing her f 1965Ellie is a white university student who spends her summers working in her father's pharmacy。 When she hears about The Summer Community Organization and Political Education （SCOPE） Project， whose goal was to recruit white college students to help prepare African Americans for voting and to maintain pressure on Congress to pass what became the Voting Rights Act of 1965， she signs up。 Her family and friends in her small town try to dissuade her but she feels strongly enough to risk losing her family and friends for this cause。 While involved， she experiences violence which only makes her conviction stronger。2010Kayla and her husband were building their dream home when he passed away in a freak accident in the house before it was finished so she has a love-hate relationship with house。 Kayla and her young daughter move in and strange and scary things start to happen。 Ellie has moved back home for a while to take care of her ailing mother and brother and she and Kayla become friends。I've read many books by this author and thought this one was just okay。 In 2010， it is first person perspective in Kayla's voice and in 1965 in Ellie's voice。 It bounces back and forth between the two different time periods and the chapters are marked as to what the time period is and whose voice it is。 I found the writing slow for most of the book 。。。 it's not until towards the end that it picked up。 When I decided to read this book， I didn't know what it was going to be about。 The focus is less on the mystery of why someone doesn't want Kayla to be in the house （which is what I was expecting） and more on Ellie's 1965 story， which was fine as SCOPE was a worthy and interesting cause （I hadn't heard of it before） but there were a lot of details and information which I found slowed the writing down。Given all that Kayla was going through， with her husband recently passing away and being terrorized to drive her out of her house， she didn't seem overly stress。 It seemed like she was more concerned about being loyal to her husband's dream of living in the house than protecting her young daughter， which seemed unrealistic。 I found that Ellie， given her privileged white upbringing was just too gung ho about being involved with SCOPE。 It was quite a switch in her lifestyle （one house she stayed in had an outhouse and no electricity） and her family and friends disowned her yet she still carried on with the cause。As a head's up， there is swearing and violence。Blog review post: http://www。teenaintoronto。com/2021/12。。。 。。。more
Kristy Weldon
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Review coming soon
Jana
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More around 4。5
Courtnee Hoyle
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THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET was absolutely compelling。 Diane Chamberlain developed characters in two seemingly unrelated timelines and converged them beautifully。In 2010， Kayla， an architect， is approached and threatened by a woman。 The woman knows details about Kayla's recently deceased husband， and the house in which he died， the couple's dream home。 She warns Kayla not to move there and issues a vague statement about her desire to kill someone。In 1965， Ellie prepares for a summer with SCOPE， THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET was absolutely compelling。 Diane Chamberlain developed characters in two seemingly unrelated timelines and converged them beautifully。In 2010， Kayla， an architect， is approached and threatened by a woman。 The woman knows details about Kayla's recently deceased husband， and the house in which he died， the couple's dream home。 She warns Kayla not to move there and issues a vague statement about her desire to kill someone。In 1965， Ellie prepares for a summer with SCOPE， an organization committed to registering black voters。 She fights to gain acceptance into the organization， and once she begins canvasing with the other members， she feels completely connected to her work。 Ellie's hometown doesn't support SCOPES' mission。 In fact， many of the people she grew up around despise the civil rights movement and those who are involved in it。 When it's clear Ellie doesn't share their beliefs， will she and her friends become a target？This story pulled most of my heart strings。 To say I loved it would be an understatement。 The book was well-planned， and each piece of the puzzle clicked into place until I completely understood the purpose for the dual timeline。 I was so thankful for the glimpse into the challenges SCOPE workers faced， and livid that they had to endure them。 Susan Bennett was a lovely narrator。 I'm a native southerner， and the voices she used for her characters had an accent with exaggeration。 I was impressed by the gentle shifts in her intonation that signaled a character change，This book is powerful， and it may raise thought-provoking questions。 It would be perfect for a book club。I recommend this book for new adults and experienced readers， as the book contains some mature content。 。。。more
Ms。 Magnolia
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